"Tibetans' reverence for and loyalty to the Dalai Lama has almost no equal among the world's communities and if this policy is extended beyond this individual monastery, as other reports suggest, it will be very significant for the Tibetan people," said Free Tibet's Eleanor Byrne-Rosengren. "However, these reports remain unconfirmed and, in those circumstances, it would be unwise to speculate on their implications regarding China's policies in Tibet. A local change in policy can easily be reversed."

US-based advocacy group International Campaign for Tibet said that officials in China's western Qinghai province are also considering lifting the ban on Tibetans displaying photos of the spiritual leader, and that the region has draft proposals to end the practice of forcing Tibetans to denounce the Dalai Lama and to decrease police presence at monasteries.